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Dutch titanium specialists Van Nicholas have updated their top-end Astraeus road racer, retaining the hydroformed and diamond-profile top and down tubes but adding a newly integrated head tube and less heavily manipulated chainstays for 2011.

The integrated head tube – not to mention the new etched logo – makes for a cleaner front end but Van Nicholas founder Jan-Willem Sintnicolass says its larger diameter also provides more room for the top tube and down tube welds, thus improving front triangle torsional stiffness and overall handling precision.

Likewise, last year's pinched and squeezed chainstays have given way to rounder cross-sections at the bottom bracket end, reducing lateral flex and making for a more efficient drivetrain but without affecting the Astraeus's notable comfort, according to Sintnicolass.

Zephyr

Van Nicholas have taken even more of a comfort-oriented approach for their Zephyr road model, built with biaxially ovalised top and down tubes to keep front triangle torsional flex to reasonable levels but with frighteningly tiny seatstays – measuring just 17mm in diameter – that taper down even more at the seat tube.

The idea here is to yield as much vertical movement to the rear end as possible, which is further helped by the semi-compact frame configuration. Offsetting the seatstays and top tube helps the seat tube bend back slightly under impact and the longer, 27.2mm seatpost flexes more than a shorter, larger-diameter one.

Capping the 'comfortable long distance cruiser' theme is the longer head tube and slightly slackened angles for a more upright riding position and more stable handling.

Van nicholas's zephyr is purpose-built with comfort in mind: van nicholas's zephyr is purpose-built with comfort in mind

Van Nicholas's Zephyr is purpose-built with comfort in mind

Zion 29in

Over in the opposite corner of the Van Nicholas booth sat yet another example that 29in mountain bike wheels are finally beginning to grab hold in Europe: the Zion 29". While the big-wheeled hardtail isn't entirely new for 2011, it has undergone a few key revisions. The head tube has been shortened to allow a lower bar position – critical for shorter 29er riders – and the seat tube now sports a slight kink for greater tyre clearance.

Van Nicholas will also add a full-suspension rig to their range called Valkyr. Aimed at the cross-country and marathon crowd, Valkyr will boast 100mm of travel at either end with a faux-bar rear end – fully crafted in titanium, of course. Oversized and hydroformed tubes will help bolster the front end against torsional flex and there's even a tapered head tube to fit the latest crop of suspension forks.

Van nicholas will soon add a full-suspension bike to their impressive array of titanium machines: van nicholas will soon add a full-suspension bike to their impressive array of titanium machines

Van Nicholas will soon add a full-suspension bike to their impressive array of titanium machines

US readers should take note: Van Nicholas are making a push into the American market and have dropped their shipping costs there to zero, so if you've been considering buying one, now's a good time.

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James started as a roadie in 1990 with his high school team but switched to dirt in 1994 and has enjoyed both ever since. Anything that comes through his hands is bound to be taken apart, and those hands still sometimes smell like fork oil even though he retired from shop life in 2007. He prefers manual over automatic, fizzy over still, and the right way over the easy way.

Discipline: Mountain, road, cyclocross

Preferred Terrain: Up in the Colorado high-country where the singletrack is still single, the dirt is still brown, and the aspens are in full bloom. Also, those perfect stretches of pavement where the road snakes across the mountainside like an artist's paintbrush.